May 2, 2018 2:00pm by David Farrar

Yes if you grow drugs at home you’ll be evicted

A formerly homeless woman who was the subject of a public protest by a Dunedin MP has been convicted of drug offences.

Amy Leigh Stuart (26) was one of two women receiving emergency accommodation in motels who prompted Clare Curran to pitch her tent in the Octagon in July last year.

There was some online backlash at the time about the women’s lifestyle but Ms Curran said that was irrelevant.

Her outdoor remonstration ended after four nights when the Ministry of Social Development found Stuart stable accommodation.

Less than six months later, police raided the woman’s house where they found two cannabis plants (about 34cm tall) growing outside in a bucket along with a couple of seedlings.

There were another two seedlings indoors on the window sill and a further search of the address turned up 0.05g of the class A drug methamphetamine.

There was no evidence of commerciality, Judge Dominic Flatley acknowledged.

Stuart pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis, possession of methamphetamine and breaching a previous sentence of community work.

The world is about consequences. If you don’t want to be evicted from your accommodation, don’t grow drugs there.

Now will Labour MPs do another tent protest in support of this woman?